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Numbers, as with many other words in Penang Hokkien, changes their intonation according to syntext. The most obvious is whether the number is with or without a suffixing digit. See below how numbers 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 change their tone. Observe how the tone change for the first and final digit in 66 and 99. Numbers 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 changes their tone when there's another digit behind them.
All numbers are regular except for 1 and 2. The number "1" can be expressed with "et3" or "chit1". Et3 is usually (but not always) used as an ordinal number (first) whereas chit1 is used as a cardinal number (one). In the same way, "2" is jee3 usually (not always) as an ordinal number (second) and norh3 as a cardinal number (two). For numbers above a hundred, et3 and jee3 are used as the final digit even in cardinal numbers (e.g. 101, 102, 201, 202, etc.). On the other hand, chit3 and norh3 are used to value the hundreds (e.g. 100, 101, 106, 200, 202, 211, etc.)
Numbers are numerally more regular than in English. So a number like 5237 is expressed in Penang Hokkien as five thousand two hundred three tens and seven. However numbers in the hundreds and thousands can be expressed in contracted form, see examples for 120, 1010, 1200, etc. Observe and compare 106 and the contracted form of 160.
Due to contraction, the Cheng Kon Sze Temple is often mistaken to be the Temple of A Thousand Two Hundred Steps (cheng-jee-chan), when actually it is the Temple of A Thousand and Two Steps. This is just one of the few instances where the number is irregular, and hence misled people.
Numerals, as in telephone numbers, are simply expressed with the digits, for example, 899 5058 would be pek1-kau1-kau4-goh3-k'hong1-goh3-pek3. Even in this instance, the digits change their tone (as shown with the number 9, but occurs also with most of the other digits). As you get familiar with the intonation, it will became second nature to you.
0 = k'hong3
1 = et3 (some times also chit1)
2 = jee3 (some times also norh3)
3 = sarh1
4 = si3
5 = goh3
6 = lark1
7 = chiet3
8 = pek3
9 = kau4
10 = ch'arp1
11 = ch'arp3-et3
12 = ch'arp3-jee3
13 = ch'arp3-sarh1
20 = jee3-ch'arp1
21 = jee3-ch'arp3-et3
30 = sarh3-ch'arp1
40 = si1-ch'arp1
50 = goh3-ch'arp1
55 = goh3-ch'arp3-goh3
60 = lark3-ch'arp1
66 = lark3-ch'arp3-lark1
67 = lark3-ch'arp3-chiet3
70 = chiet1-ch'arp1
80 = pek1-ch'arp1
82 = pek1-ch'arp3-jee3
90 = kau1-ch'arp1
91 = kau1-ch'arp3-et3
99 = kau1-ch'arp3-kau4
100 = chit3-p'hak3
101 = chit3-p'hak1-k'hong1-et3
102 = chit3-p'hak1-k'hong1-jee3
106
110 = chit3-p'hak1-ch'arp1
111 = chit3-p'hak1-ch'arp3-et3
120 = chit3-p'hak1-jee3-ch'arp1; or simply p'hak1-jee3
160 = chit3-p'hak1-lark3-ch'arp1 or simply p'hak1-lark1
166 = chit3-p'hak1-lark3-ch'arp3-lark1
200 = norh3-p'hak3
202 = norh3-p'hak1-k'hong1-jee3
269 = norh3-p'hak1-lark3-ch'arp3-kau4
418 = si1-p'hak1-ch'arp3-pek3
1000 = chit3-cheng1
1001 = chit3-cheng1-k'hong1-et3
1002 = chit3-cheng1-k'hong1-jee3
1003 = chit3-cheng1-k'hong1-sarh1
1009 = chit3-cheng1-k'hong1-kau4
1010 = chit3-cheng1-k'hong1-ch'arp1; or simply cheng3-ch'arp1
1099 = chit3-cheng1-kau1-ch'arp3-kau4
1100 = chit3-cheng1-chit3-p'hak3 or simply cheng3-et3
1200 = chit3-cheng1-norh3-p'hak3 or simply cheng3-jee3
1203 = chit3-cheng1-norh3-p'hak1-k'hong1-sarh1
1666 = chit3-cheng1-lark3-p'hak1-lark3-ch'arp3-lark1
2000 = norh3-cheng1
2400 = norh3-cheng1-si1-p'hak3 or simply norh3-cheng3-si3
2500 = norh3-cheng1-goh3-p'hak3 or simply norh3-cheng3-goh3
8888 = pek1-cheng1-pek1-p'hak1-pek1-ch'arp3-pek3
10,000 = chit3-bahn3
11,000 = ch'arp3-et1-cheng1 seldom chit3-bahn3-chit3-cheng1
11,500 = ch'arp3-et1-cheng3-goh3
40,000 = si1-bahn3 also as si1-ch'arp3-cheng1
100,000 = chit3-p'hak1-cheng1 also as ch'arp3-bahn3
1,000,000 = chit3-phak1-bahn3
View Glossary of Penang Hokkien Words
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